Himmelsbach: After redemptive run, UK's time runs out

Kentucky Wildcats forward Alex Poythress (22) reacts after losing to the Connecticut Huskies in the championship game of the Final Four in the 2014 NCAA Mens Division I Championship tournament at AT&T Stadium.(Photo: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)

ARLINGTON, Texas – The expectations at the start might have been unfair and preposterous, but in the end, they were almost met.

The University of Kentucky's unlikely run came to a sudden halt in the final game of the college basketball season Monday night. Once again, there was a large deficit and once again the Wildcats charged back.

But this time they ran out of magic and they ran out of time. This time there were no smiles at the end. The national championship game ended with blue and white confetti falling from the top of AT&T Stadium, and it ended with Connecticut 60, Kentucky 54.

The Wildcats are such an intriguing paradox, the rare team ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls that was on the verge of becoming one of the most improbable champions of all. They entered the tournament with 10 losses. They entered as a No. 8 seed. They were placed in perhaps the most difficult region.

And, of course, they did it by leaning on seven freshmen and one sophomore. But somehow, some way, they kept advancing, even when there were times it appeared they wouldn't.

In this game, though, they ran into a team whose path to this point was even more implausible. We last saw UConn in Louisville on March 8, losing by 33 points to the University of Louisville in a game that was not that close. But sometime since then the Huskies found their way.

For Kentucky, the title game unfolded like so many others have during this tournament. The Wildcats faced a deficit. The Wildcats charged back. And the logical next assumption was that the Wildcats would win, because they've always found a way to win.

This time the deficit was 15 points — the largest of the tournament. The Wildcats pushed back and pulled within 48-47, but they pulled no closer. They never led.

And the final minute was a bit puzzling. UK trailed 58-54 with 54 seconds left, and Wildcats coach John Calipari called timeout, presumably to tell his team to foul. The Wildcats had just six fouls at the time, and there was an opportunity to stretch the game and force the Huskies to make one-and-ones.

But they didn't foul until Lasan Kromah went up for a layup with six seconds left on the shot clock. Komah made both free throws, Andrew and Aaron Harrison both missed 3-pointers at the other end, and that was that. The Huskies ran out the clock in a final minute that almost went down in slow motion.

Calipari said he didn't foul because UConn was making all of its free throws, but at that point, time was of the essence.

And now we'll see what happens next.

There were rumors spread on Twitter before the game by none other than former UK star — and former NBA front-office man — Rex Chapman, who said Calipari's departure to become head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers was imminent.

Calipari was asked about that statement after the game.

"The Lakers have a basketball coach. Kentucky has a basketball coach," he said. "I got the best job in the country. I'm not gonna even dignify that."

One thing that is more certain is that a flood of these fabulous freshmen will soon announce their departures. The guess here is that Julius Randle, James Young, Aaron Harrison and Andrew Harrison will depart. I have a feeling Dakari Johnson returns but wouldn't be stunned if he left. And any other early entry would be surprising.

For those players who do leave, they do not have to look back with regret. They can look back at the season in which they redeemed themselves, and they can look back proudly.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at 502-582-4372 by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach